Burgoyne out three for 'throw'

By Len JohnsonJuly 24 2003

The tackle that led to Peter Burgoyne's three-match suspension.
Picture: CHANNEL 10

Port Adelaide's Peter Burgoyne will miss the match against Brisbane at the weekend after being suspended for three matches by the AFL Tribunal last night for a so-called "spear tackle" on West Coast's Daniel Kerr.

The tribunal found that Burgoyne's action in up-ending Kerr and throwing him to the ground in the fiery first quarter of last Saturday night's match did constitute rough play.

It rejected the defence case, which was almost entirely that Kerr had contributed to the movement by throwing himself up and back in an attempt to kick the ball when tackled.

St Kilda's Fraser Gehrig was suspended for one match after being found guilty of striking the Kangaroos' Drew Petrie during last Sunday's match at Docklands, but Melbourne's Matthew Whelan was cleared of a rough-play charge against Hawthorn's Shane Crawford. Demon Brad Green and Hawk Kris Barlow were cleared of charges of stomping on each other's feet in the same match.

It was the Burgoyne case that drew the most attention. In finding the Port player guilty, tribunal chairman Brian Collis, QC, said he had "man-handled" Kerr in such a manner that Kerr's upward motion was continued and that he had then been thrown head-first to the ground.

His actions constituted rough play, were unreasonable in the circumstances, contrary to the rules and reckless. On penalty, Collis said that it was "clearly an act with the potential for serious injury".

Burgoyne's two previous convictions for charging - in round one this season and in 2001 - were also relevant.

Port Adelaide football manager Mick Moylan gave no indication as to whether the club would appeal, saying "no comment" when asked. But in addressing the tribunal on penalty, player advocate Iain Findlay had indicated the club was expecting at least two matches, which would seem to make an appeal less likely.

Melbourne Storm football manager Greg Brentnall, who has played Australian football and rugby league, did not appear as an expert witness. The club decided not to call him as he would not be allowed to express a view on whether the contact was rough or unreasonable.

Field umpire Hayden Kennedy made the report against Burgoyne after being invited to review video of the incident on Monday. He said he had been "taken aback" by the action on the night and had paid a free kick, wrongly as it turned out, for a high tackle. He had not filed a notice of investigation.

Kennedy said his only comment on the night was to tell Port skipper Matthew Primus, "it was dangerous".

Kerr told the tribunal that his body could have been forcing Burgoyne backwards, as the defence contended, but was unable to say whether he had rolled over or been forced to the ground. "It happened too quickly, I can't remember that," Kerr said.

Burgoyne said he had tackled Kerr correctly around the chest region and that in the act of trying to kick the ball, "Kerr came back on me, rolled over me, I let him go and he went down with (his own) momentum."

Gehrig, St Kilda's match-winner with nine goals against the Roos, was found guilty of striking Petrie. The tribunal noted that the ball was dead after a free kick had been paid to Petrie, against Gehrig.